


Résolution et Ambition

by andamiro (arysthaeniru)



Category: Prince of Tennis
Genre: F/M, Genderbending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 15:04:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1121272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arysthaeniru/pseuds/andamiro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An introspection about what a female Yukimura might have been like in canon, and the unfairness she might have had to fight against.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Résolution et Ambition

Seiko growled in frustration, as she turned over. She couldn’t sleep. She was supposed to be resting, so they could do more night testing later without her falling asleep then, but the dull ache of the IV inserted in her skin was still raw from when they’d inserted it yesterday. She wasn’t used to it.

She’d been in the hospital for two days already, since she’d fainted on the train station without any prior warning, but all she’d been doing was getting worse. And she still couldn’t feel her fingers and toes properly.

The faces of her classmates as she’d fallen…she didn’t like to contemplate it. Renge had looked like the world had ended and Ayaka had screamed when Seiko hadn’t responded. Hiroka had looked more shaken than when Niou from the boys’ team had asked her to quit golf so they could play in the mixed doubles tournament.

But the face that Seiko remembered with clarity and with pain, was Genichirou’s. Because where the others had looked terrified…he’d looked resigned and determined. He’d always known her best.

(X)

They’d first met when they were four, at the tennis club. Seiko maintained that those were the best days, because nobody cared about whether you were a girl or a boy. It was just about how well you played, and Seiko and Genichirou had always been the top of the class.

Seiko could always thrash Genichirou, of course, but the fun part was that he came back for more. He’d been her only confidante during her childhood; all the other girls liked to play tea-party and paint their nails and play with dolls, while Seiko preferred the garden and gardening, or running around the tennis court trying to return just one more ball. And the other boys never gave her a chance to play in their games. Only Genichirou.

She always whined about him not coming to the same school as her, and he usually retorted that she should have come to his school. They loved to bicker and argue, but they were the closest of friends despite it. Seiko knew that her parents thought it was adorable, but she’d always taken every argument seriously and so had Genichirou.

And every time they argued, they’d usually hurt each other, in some way or the other. And when they were ready, they’d play a tennis match to siphon off their anger and then solemnly apologize to each other and go back to how they’d been before.

And of course, when middle school came, Seiko had been entirely insistent that they find the perfect school. One with amazing tennis and amazing academics. And Rikkaidai had fit all of that.

Genichirou’s parents had wanted him to go to a school closer to his home, but, surprisingly, Genichirou had agreed with her, after seeing the school, and he’d stubbornly insisted upon going there. Something she’d been relentlessly grateful for.

But, the awful happened. In middle school, the tennis teams were split by gender. And Seiko’s dreams of taking over the tennis team and playing with Genichirou at her side were shattered brutally.

She’d never understood why that happened. She was stronger than nearly all of the senpai and Genichirou! She was better than a boy! Why did she have to play on a different team, the slacker team? Rikkai’s Girls hadn’t seen the light of the Nationals trophy for 15 years.

She’d begged to be on the boys team, offering to smash all of the senpai away and take over, but they wouldn’t even give her the time of day because of her gender. Fuming, she’d made her way to the girls team, smashed every single person there, and swore that both girls and boys teams would see nationals victory for three years in a row.

She’d been aided by Yanagi Renge, a new girl to the area, coming from Tokyo, and someone whose tennis was incredible and her attention to detail perfection. Seiko, Renge and Genichirou were the only first years that had made the team in their first year and three of them had silently manipulated all of the senpai-tachi into following their training schedules and playing with the match plans that they thought were fitting.

Seiko had loved the silent game of suggestion and deceit, but she knew it was trying upon Genichirou, who was a more straight-forward person in general, but also, in that he was alone in the boys club trying to implement Renge’s strategy. Still, he’d refused to let the strain get to him, and anytime he felt too mad, he either slashed straw dolls to pieces or played against Seiko with his full strength.

Seiko had beat him, of course, but it had always been close.

And they’d done it. For two years, both the boys team and girls team had won, aided by the dual practises of the girls and the boys teams, coordinated by Seiko, Renge and Genichirou. They technically had captains, but both had abdicated the position to Genichirou and Seiko had outrightly been chosen as captain of the girls team.

And then…right in the middle of their training to take the third championship…this had happened. She’d been dropping things and losing sensations for three months in advance, but she’d thought it something temporary. Something from training too hard or doing too much.

Genichirou…he must have seen her struggling, known that this was inevitable. She’d been trying to hide it…but he was almost always with her. And he knew her better than she knew herself, sometimes.

(X)

Seiko frowned as she thumped her head back against the lumpy pillow, her hair uncomfortably poking into her spine. She wasn’t used to it being braided, but the nurses had done that to make it easier to maintain, since it was so long.

She hadn’t been able to sleep. At all. Made slightly explainable by the fact that it was only 5 in the evening. Still, her curtains were drawn tightly and they were good at blocking light. Still, she was just staring at the ceiling.

She sat up and stared again at the IV entering her skin and how weird it looked as it entered. She’d been told to not touch it. But it itched and she hated it. It was a reminder of how weak she was.

Her mother had called the day before to tell her how she was just a girl and shouldn’t have attempted to overstress herself over something as boyish as tennis. That she should have contented herself with art, as it was a girl’s job. Something that didn’t earn as much money, something that wasn’t stressful, a good job for just a woman.

Seiko wished that her mother had been there so she could shout back or slap or her retaliate in some way other than hanging up. She was more than her gender. She was more than a girl. She was a human and she had the determination to reach the top.

Why did gender matter so much to people? Why did it matter that she was a girl? She had boobs and a vagina. She was slightly shorter than most of her other male friends. She had a period once a month and she liked clothing and art and gardening. She won competitions with her art and her tennis had beaten everybody she’d played against so far, except her coaches. She’d directed, written and produced the school plays year after year. She was also captain of the girl’s cricket team. What was it about society that reduced all of her qualities to ‘she’s just a girl’?

Seiko squeezed her fists together and leant her head back against the wall. There was a disturbance outside and Seiko sat up straight again. She wasn’t imagining that voice…

She pressed the button that required assistance, and almost immediately, the nurse burst into her room. “Are you alright, Yukimura-chan?” she asked, her large eyes worried. “What do you need?”

“Please, is that my friend outside?” she asked, making sure to put on her best puppy-dog eyes and trembling, scared voice. At least her appearance was useful for something.

“Yes, but you need to be resting now, Yukimura-chan. I’ve told him to go home and come back later.” said the nurse, sternly, relaxing a little as it became apparent that nothing was wrong with Seiko.

“Oh no, please! Can’t you get him to come in? I haven’t seen him in ages! And he won’t stay long and he won’t be a bother. I’ll go straight to sleep after he visits.” begged Seiko, gripping her hands together.

The nurse looked very hesitant and Seiko batted her eyelashes as subtly as she could. The nurse nodded. “Alright. But for a very short amount of time.”

Seiko beamed and as the nurse ducked out of the room, very quickly, Genichirou came in. There were still streaks of water on his face from his shower and his tennis bag was hoisted over his shoulder. He was carrying a tiny potplant, and Seiko recognised it as the one from her garden that they’d been planning to plant over the weekend.

“Hello Yukimura-chan.” he said, his eyes not leaving her, looking utterly alarmed.

“Stop being so formal, Genichirou.” chastised Seiko, as she frowned and leant back into her pillows. “I didn’t turn into a different person. I just fainted. Sit down on the bed and tell me what’s been happening.”

“You first, Seiko.” he said, with a frown as he hesitantly perched on the edge of her bed, as he leant his tennis bag against the wall. “Your parents mentioned that the hospital had been discussing keeping you here for longer than the required week.”

Seiko nodded, looking away as she picked at the heated blanket’s fraying end. “They think it’s a neurological disorder. So they want to do a bunch of tests to check. And I want to come back home and just go visit the hospital for the tests alone…but mum doesn’t want to risk anything, because I’m a girl.” she explained softly. “But the nurses and the doctors said that I could go back home if I start showing improvement.”

Genichirou nodded pensively. “Then do what it takes to keep yourself safe.”

Seiko’s eyes softened. “Of course. How’s the team doing?”

Genichirou shrugged. “As well as can be expected since it was announced that you’d be going into hospital. They’re playing better than ever, especially Ayaka and Hiroka.”

Seiko nodded. ‘Tell them their form is terrible and that they need to improve on their speed. If we’re to get our third national victory, we’re going to need to up our skills considerably. I will not tolerate slacking off because I’m not there.” she said, her eyes sharpening. Tennis was tennis. She was ruthless there. “And the boys?”

“Doing a little better. Jackal wishes you all the best and Niou’s not been too affected, aside from shock that you’re gone.” relayed Genichirou, looking a little more comfortable from where he was perched on her bed.

“Send my regards to everybody. And apologize to my teachers if you see them, Genichirou?” she asked, as she scooted forward a bit and placed the arm that wasn’t IV-bound on his shoulder.

“Of course, Seiko.” he said, and he pulled her hand away from his shoulder and squeezed it with his own, tightly, his hard, dark eyes meeting her blue, determined ones for one long moment.

“How’s Renge doing?” asked Seiko, with a smile. Their mutual friend was prone to getting overly concerned and not showing it outwardly.

“Well enough. She’s been doing a lot of research on the computer and refuses to come out of the computer lab at lunch.” said Genichirou, looking tired.

Seiko squeezed his hand, reassuringly. “Tell her to stop worrying about me. I’ll be fine.”

Genichirou lifted an eyebrow. “You’re asking me to lie to her?”

Seiko frowned. “I will get better.”

“Getting better in the future and being fine now are two very different things.” he retorted, crossing his arm over his chest.

She pulled a face and poked him harshly in the side. “Then yes. Lie to her. Or bring her with you next time and I’ll lie to her.”

Genichirou rolled his eyes. “You’ll hardly be able to lie to her when she can see you. She’s the most astute member of the joint team.”

Seiko sighed. “Fine then, Genichirou.” she said, pulling a face. “Speaking of visits…” she glanced up at the clock. “Can you visit any earlier? They want me asleep by six, so I can wake up again at one comfortably for testing.”

Genichirou looked down and tugged his hat off, twisting it between his hands. “I can’t…tennis practise runs until then and I practically sprinted from the school to here in fifteen minutes, the moment your parents said yesterday evening that you were allowed visitors now.”

Seiko nodded firmly, ignoring the sinking sensation in her heart. “That’s fine, Genichirou, don’t worry about it. The tennis club comes first. Keep them running smoothly.” she instructed.

Genichirou tossed her a look. “But…”

“But nothing. You’ll just have to be concise when you explain what happened during the day.” said Seiko, with a soft smile.

Genichirou started, then his look softened to a smile. “Aa.”

Seiko smiled back hesitantly and their eyes met. They stared a little too long and Genichirou turned away, his cheeks starting to darken. Seiko looked down, with a little embarrassed smile. Those moments where they lingered just a little too long were increasing in frequency. Before, Seiko had tried to pull a face to lighten the mood…but lately, she couldn’t bring herself to break it like that and one of them just turned away in embarrassment, first.

“Alright Yukimura-chan, visiting time is up.” said the nurse. “Bed.”

Seiko’s eyes narrowed. Come on. That had barely been ten minutes. This was not fair. “Genichirou’s going to read me to sleep. He can stay for a bit longer.” she said, ignoring Genichirou’s look of utter surprise.

The nurse looked vaguely amused then she just chuckled and shook her head. “Very well. But if you aren’t asleep in fifteen minutes, Sanada-kun will have to leave.”

Seiko beamed and tucked herself back under the covers, stopping to toss a copy of the book that he’d lent to her a few days ago at him. He recognised the cover and smile, flicking to the dog-eared page of the book, tossing her an exasperated look. Seiko just shrugged, unapologetically. She lost all of her bookmarks so easily. Dog-earing pages was the only way to remember.

“What are you doing Seiko?” he hissed, as the nurse left.

“Please…” said Seiko, softly. “Won’t you? I’ve missed talking to you. And if I’m only going to get 10 minutes every day, I want to hear a bit more.”

Genichirou just gave her an unreadable look, before starting to read the words, in his deep, soothing voice. Seiko’s eyes lingered upon the frown in his forehead as he read and the dark eyelashes that flickered as he turned the pages. His hair seemed so much more normal when it was out of the hat. He seemed so much less intimidating without his mask.

She’d intended to stay awake as long as possible to linger on his features and memorize them for the long weeks to come without her friends, but surprisingly, as the story continued, her eyelids started to droop and it wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep with the lingering voice of Genichirou echoing through her mind.

(X)

The days afterwards, her teammates came and visited lots, and usually the nurse extended her bedtime when all fourteen of them invaded the room, but the person who was there at her bedside everyday was Genichirou, with something about the club or the school or either of their families.

And in exchange, Seiko would tell him something about the hospital, though talking about it made her feel so helpless. She could feel less and less as the days passed by and even walking up to go to the bathroom was an ordeal. She told him sometimes, how she wondered whether she was going to die and whether it was her divine punishment for using Yips.

Whenever she did though, he gave her a stern look and told her that she was going to live, and that Kami wasn’t so cruel. He gave her hope for the future, speaking of trips into the future and how he was saving her place in class, and all the girls and boys were wishing her a full recovery. How the beautification committee were working extra hard in her absence and how the tennis club were pushing themselves to their limits and didn’t Seiko want to come back and see them and play them to show them that they aren’t all that?

All Seiko could do in the face of that sheer determination that she would live was smile and make her promise that yes, she would return and crush them all and help plant some better flowers and come back and steal Hiroka’s second place from her.

And every night…she asked Genichirou to stay and read to her, and nowadays, he brought her books from the library to read. The subject matter was usually some research he had to do for class or some tennis book or even a kendo manual. Seiko didn’t care. His voice helped lull her to sleep.

And not in the way that the really boring teachers tempted her to do on some nights where she’d stayed up painting for too long. She could equally listen to him talk normally and be happy, as hear him read and fall asleep. There was a difference in the tones and the intentions behind them. The nights he couldn’t make it, she had trouble sleeping.

But when he was there, her nights were nightmare free. Some days, before she was fully asleep, she’d feel his hand stroking her hair back or a soft lingering touch on her hand as he left the room. She didn’t know whether it was his like for her as a friend…or as something more.

She knew that people were gossiping about them; all the nurses were convinced that he was her boyfriend, despite her denying it on several occasions. But really. To Genichirou, she was sure that she was just his best friend. And even if Seiko felt something more…well, it could go ignored.

Even if he was practically perfect.

Genichirou wasn’t like other people, other men who thought that women should stay and home and do nothing but be dutiful. Genichirou had always been scornful of the Yamato Nadeshiko, when his grandfather talked about it. Seiko had been keen to see that it was one of the only things that Genichirou and his grandfather had disagreed about. If she wanted a career first, he’d let her, were they in a relationship.

But…they were fourteen. She _was_ going to recover and she had the world ahead of her. Why decide her entire future now, while she was still in hospital, unable to see the whole world around her? Even if she was sure she would never make a better choice than Genichirou.

She was still free. She was still young enough where gender stereotypes were only starting to make an impression. She didn’t need to worry yet. Just make sure her close friends didn’t fall into the destructive cycle.

(X)

Seiko gripped the edge of her seat. This was it. The male nationals final. The one event that determined whether their promise, made three years ago, would remain intact.

The girls final had ended yesterday, with Rikkaidai’s overwhelming victory. All she’d had to do was step on the court and Rokkaku girls tennis club forfeited, in the face of her sheer determination. She’d pushed herself relentlessly to reach the point where she could play for the Nationals, ignoring the advice of her parents, her doctors and her teammates. The only two to support her were Genichirou and Ayaka, surprisingly.

Under their eyes, she’d pushed and pushed, until she was at their level. Not quite at the level where she could thrash the rest of her teammates. But enough to play and win.

But now…Genichirou was in Singles 1. Against some bratling from Seigaku _who hadn’t had his memory for the first half of the match_. Not even Tezuka, who was indeed a worthy opponent. And Genichirou was losing. Not badly, but they were even. Which meant that Genichirou was struggling, something that only happened when Geniichirou played Seiko, Atobe or Tezuka.

Renge placed a hand on Seiko’s shoulder. “Calm. Genichirou will pull through.”

Seiko tossed a look to Renge. “He’d better.” she said, darkly.

As the tiebreak was announced, Seiko sprung out of her seat, and vaulted down to the first row, startling most of the first years in the seats in front of her. She clambered over the chairs where Niou-kun and Kagayama-kun from the boys’ team were sitting and leaned over the metal bar.

“Hey Jackal,” she called, “Switch out with me for this break?” Jackal, from where he was sitting on the coach’s bench turned around and nodded. “Sure thing, Yukimura-buchou.”

Seiko gracefully landed on the bench and Jackal nimbly leapt up to join Niou-kun and Kagayama-kun. Genichirou, evidently expecting Jackal, just collapsed down on the seat next to her and rubbed his face with the towel.

“You’re being an idiot, Genichirou.” she said, quite clearly.

Genichirou started and looked at her. “Seiko?” he asked, looking dumbfounded.

“You’re letting yourself get swept up in his pace. His tricks are ending the game, and you’re only keeping your service games, and he’s only keeping his. If you’re to end it in the tiebreak, instead of relentlessly dragging this on, you must be ruthless.” Seiko said, without any qualms.

Genichirou tossed her a look of despair and annoyance. “He’s achieved the Pinnacle of Perfection, Seiko. I can’t beat that!”

Seiko snorted and tossed him a cool, new waterbottle. “You mean he’s sparkling and intimidating you.” She didn’t stop talking at Genichirou’s glare, she was disdainful of the State of Self-Actualization’s usefulness. It did nothing for her tennis, except make her look pretty. “The only thing that’s improved is his speed. He still plays like anyone else, just faster.” she said, calmly.

“I’d like to see you play him, Seiko.” said Genichirou, with a scowl.

Seiko sighed. She wasn’t going to fight with him here. Not on the eve of their third consecutive win. Instead, she looked him in the eye. “You can win this, Genichirou. We’re all counting on you. Just find the state where you operate best. Be that anger or hate or peace or happiness.”

Genichirou’s look softened. “I’ll win. For Rikkai. Whatever it takes.”

Seiko nodded determinedly. She leant forward and kissed his cheek. “You don’t need luck, you’re Rikkai.” she whispered, before leaving the coach’s bench and ducking back into the stands, not waiting for his reaction.

She ignored the wolfwhistle from Niou-kun, just swatting him around the head as she walked back up, past her seat.

“Where are you going, Yukimura-buchou?” asked Ayaka, looking confused as Seiko passed where she’d been sitting with Bunko and Renge. ‘The match isn’t over yet.”

“For a drink.” said Seiko, nonchalantly. “The match is practically over. Want one?”

“Lemonade for me, buchou!” said Bunko, cheerfully.

Renge just smirked. “Confident, aren’t you, Seiko?” There was a knowing look in her eyes as she watched Seiko go, that clearly marked the contrast between how nervous she’d been before

“Of course.” said Seiko brightly, as she passed by the Hyotei contingent with a cheery wave. She took her own sweet time at the vending machine, making sure to get lemonade for Bunko and a nice drink of canned tea for herself. As she made her way back to the stadium she heard loud cheers and Seiko slightly increased her stride.

As she entered the stadium, the announcement went, “Game, set, Sanada Genichirou. Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku Chuu win the Nationals Tournament, 3 matches to 2.”

The drinks were forgotten as Seiko sprinted down the stairs, pulling a huge grin towards the girls team, but not slowing in her sprint as she ran down to the pitch. She vaulted over the bars separating the audience from the tennis players and ran towards Genichirou who had just finished shaking hands with the crushed Echizen.

He saw her and also jogged out to her. “Three years!” he mouthed.

Seiko nodded and grinned back as she threw herself into his arms. They twirled around, their laughter echoed in the stands above them, where the rest of the Rikkai team and school were waiting. And then, to Seiko’s surprise, Genichirou leant down and kissed her. In front of the whole crowd, where everybody could see.

Seiko stared at him as he pulled away, her mouth slowly falling open. He…he saw her as more…. Then she threw herself back at him, kissing him with all of her energy and ferocity. Finally.

She could hear the wolf-whistles from everybody around them, but she could care less, as her whole centre of focus was on Genichirou’s face. “Whatever happens.” she said, softly. “Let’s remember this and how happy we are now.”

Genichirou tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Aa. We’ll never forget.”

And she grinned at him, unable to believe what had just happened, before turning towards the crowd and yelling out the Rikkai cheer, which was echoed by the elated students (and teachers) that were present. They’d done it. They’d won, both the girls and the boys.

And everything…would work out. Her determination had proved it. What did it matter that she had to work harder than a boy to get where she was? That just made getting there all the better and all the more satisfying. And she had the most amazing people to support her along the way. She just had to remember that.

OMAKE  
i.

“Gahhhhhhhhh.” said Seiko, as she threw the tennis magazine onto the floor and scowled at it, like it had done her a personal injustice. “And people wonder why women’s tennis isn’t seen as highly as men’s.

“What is it, buchou?” asked Ayaka, from where she was dragging a brush through her shoulder-length scraggly curls. Tennis did always ruin the gel she ran through it

“Serena Williams did an interview that was about pre-game, and she spent more time talking about her nails and her boyfriend than her actual play.” said Seiko, with a scowl. “You’d never find that in male tennis. It would always be exactly about tennis and maybe a side-line mention of their family. And it makes it seem like the effort that Serena puts into tennis is overshadowed by what she’s wearing!”

Hiroka looked up from where she was filing her nails neatly. “How irritating. But we can’t do much about it, Seiko-chan. It’s the way society functions. Girls are to remain the objects of allure, instead of real people.”

Seiko tossed Hiroka a disdainful look. Usually, she got along well with the composed young woman, but not on this. “If we accept it as a fact, we ensure that it will persist in society. We have to fight back.”

Hiroka just shrugged. “What do you want to do? Shout back at them? That will just cement their opinion that we’re useless.”

Seiko grinned ferally. “We lead by example, Hiroka. That’s what we do.”

Ayaka turned curiously. “Like what?”

Seiko just smirked. “Why don’t you wait and see?” Already, the plans of making this school less gender-biased were filling her mind. She couldn’t wait to set them into action. One school at a time…and then the whole world.

She was nothing if not ambitious.  



End file.
